Box construction.



J; MELSON.

BOX CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION flLiD-AUG-Z. 191s.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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JOHN" MELSON, 0F WINDSOR, CALIFORNIA.

BOX CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1917.

- Application filed August 2, 1916. Serial No. 112,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Manson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Windsor, in the county of Sonoma, State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Box Construction; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inreinforcements for boxes and trays and more particularly to a means forreinforcing the ends of a box and securing the side and bottom boards tothe end boards, the object of the invention being to provide a device ofthis character which can be either built into new boxes or applied toold boxes, and which securely fasten the ends of the boxes in positionso that they will not split or pull away from the sides and bottom whenthe box is roughly handled.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in the construction of lugboxes such as are employed in orchards, vineyards, and canneries, andwhich are submitted to very rough handling. The ordinary lug boxes soonbecome broken, and on some ranches and estates such a large number ofthese lug boxes isused that the expense of repairing damaged boxes andreplacingthose boxes which have been destroyed is quite a big item eachyear.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a sheet metal cornerreinforcement for boxes which is comparatively simple and inexpensive inits construction, which enables the members of the box to be securelyfastened together so that they will not pull apart, which reinforces theend boards in such a manner as to prevent them from splitting or beingbroken in, and which can be applied to old damaged boxes, thereby savingmany boxes which would otherwise have to be discarded.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain.novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

ii For a fullunderstanding of the invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of alug boxconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View through one of thevertical corners of the box.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the corner reinforcements,showing the same as removed from the box.

Fig. leis an enlarged vertical sectional viewithrough one of the.horizontal corners at the bottom of the box, showing a doubledreinforcing strip in operative position.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, thenumerals l designate the end boards of a wooden lug box, 2 the sideboards, and 3 the bottom board. The box may be of any suitable orconvenient size, and at the top thereof transverse strips 4 may extendacross the end boards 1, said strips providing a rest to engage thebottom of a superposed box when a number of boxes are placed in a pilefor the purpose of preventing the upper boxes from crushing or bruisingthe fruit in the lower boxes.

Applied to the ends of the side boards 2 and overlapping the end boards1 are angular cornerstrips 5, said strips being conveniently formed ofsheet metal and being preferably formed in telescoping sections 5 and 5so that they are extensible and can be adjusted to fit various sizes ofboxes. The edges of the telescoping section 5 are returned at 6 to fitaround the edges of the section 5 which telescopes within the section5*. At the top of.the box the two flanges or arms of the angular cornerstrip or stay 5 are formed with extensions 7 which are bent laterallyand extend over the upper edges of the end board 1 and side board 2,respectively, said extensions being received under the transverse strip4, and being engaged by the same nails or fastening members 8 by meansof which the trans verse strip is secured in position. Atthe bottom ofthe box the flange of the corner strip 5 which extends over the endboard 1 is formed with an extension 9 which extends laterally above thebottom board 3, while The doubled ends of the looped strips 12 provideeyes 12" for the reception of wires 13, 'saidwires being arranged on theinside of the box at the vert cal corners thereof and 7 having theextremities thereof engaged by the extensions atopposite ends of theangular corner strips 5. The looped strips12 have a double thickness ofmetal, and the projecting ends thereof are slit longitudinallytojprovide a pair of arms 12 one of the said arms 12 of each loopedstrip being bent around the side of the box, while the opposite arm 12of each looped strip is bent over the end of the box. These arms 12 i aswell as the angular corner strips5', are secured ,in positionby-suitable fastening members such as the nails 14. Owing to the factthat the arms 12 are each of a double thickness of sheet metal, a verystrong brace is provided,.and itwill be obvious that it will bepractically impossible for the members of the box'to be torn apart underordinary con- ClltlOllS. of use.

A series of the looped strips 12 are also inserted between the loweredges of the end boards '2 and the bottom boards 3, the eyes 12 at theinner ends of the strips 12 being engaged by transverse wires l5extending across the bottom of the box at the ends thereof. Thebifurcated arms 12 at the outer :ends of these looped strips 12 are bentupwardly overthe-end boards land down- -15 engage the inner'faces of theend boards under such conditions, providing projections which catch uponother boxes and cause an corner stays5 areformed telescoping secwardlyaround the bottom board 3, respectively, being securedin position bynails 14.

The sides .and bottom ofthe box are thus securely anchored tothe endboards 1 by 7' sheet metal strips which are of a double thickness andwhich can not readily be torn from position. The looped strips or straps'12 are firmly anchored upon the wires 13 and 15 at the'inside cornersof the box so that it'is impossible for the looped strips to pull out ofposition, and these. wires 18 and 1' so as to prevent the end boardsfrom being crushed inwardly or warping out of shape.

r In hot weather the wood of which these 1 boxes is constructed shrinks,while the metal expands, so that continuousmetal reinforcing stripson-the outside of the box buckle endless amount of trouble. The presenttion's' whichcan" have the necessary in and out movement to compensatefor the shrinkageof'the-wood and expansion of the metal in hotdry'we-ather; The box as thus constructed is rigidly reinforced and canbe handled roughly without danger of the corners being broken or theends beingcracked and broken in. The transverse strips 1 at the top ofthe box provide rigid upper corners well adapted to withstand roughusage, and the various parts of the box are securely fastened togetherso that it is practically impossible for the box to be pulled apart.There are no metal strips extending over the top of the transversestrips 4, such a construction being objectionable for the reason thatwhen anumber of boxes are superposed upon each other, these metalsurfaces frequently cause the upper boxes to slip out of position withthe result that the fruit in the lower boxes is bruised or crushed.

'The reinforcement can also be applied to old boxes which have startedto pull'apart and which it would otherwise be necessary to discard,thereby saving the expense of providing new boxes. In doing this thetransverse strips 4 at the top of the box are removed and the angularcorner strips 5 applied to the vertical corners of the box at theoutside thereof. There is usually a suflicient looseness between the endboards 1 and side boards 2 to admit of the looped strips 12 beinginserted between the same, although if there should not happen to be asufficient amount of space, this can be readily provided bytappingtightly upon the inner faces of the side boards 2 with a hammer.Afterthe looped strips 12 have been inserted in position the wires 13aredriven through the eyes 12 thereof, and the variousparts of thereinforcement secured in position bythe rails 14-. In a similar mannerthe looped strips 12 can be inserted between the end boards 1 and thebottom board 3, the wires 15 subsequently driven into position, and thearms 12 nailed down after being properly bent around the end and bottomof the box. The transverse strips 4 may then be replaced at the top ofthe box, and the old box has been reinforced so that it can be againused.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

. 1 A reinforcement for boxes, including doubled strips having thelooped ends thereof inserted through corner joints of the box, andanchor means within the box for engaging the said looped ends, the outerends of the dou'bled'strip's providing arms which are bent in oppositedirections around the corner of the box.

2. A reinforcement for boxes, including doubled strips having the loopedends thereof inserted through corner joints of the box, and an anchorwire extending along the cornerof thebox on the interior thereof andengaging the said looped ends of the strips, the outer ends of thedoubled strips being bent in opposite directions around the corner ofthe box.

3. A reinforcement for boxes, including doubled strips having the loopedends thereof inserted through corner joints of the box, and an anchorwire extending along the corner of the box on the interior thereof forengaging the said looped ends of the strips, the outer ends of thedoubled strips being slit longitudinally to provide arms, each of whichis of two thicknesses of material, said arms being bent in oppositedirections around the corner of the box.

4. A reinforcement for boxes, including an angular corner stay having aslit in one of the flanges thereof, doubled strips inserted through theslit of the corner stay and having the looped ends thereof extendingthrough the corner joint of the box, and anchor means within the box forengaging the said looped ends of the strips, the outer ends of thedoubled strips providing arms v which are bent in opposite directionsaround the corner of the box. V

5. A reinforcement for boxes, including an angular corner stay having aslit in one of the flanges thereof, doubled strips inserted through theslit of the corner stay and having the looped ends thereof extendingthrough the corner joint of the box, and an anchor wire extending alongthe corner of the box on the interior thereof and engaging the saidlooped ends of the strips, the outer ends of the doubled stripsproviding arms which are bent in opposite directions around the cornerof the box. a

6. A reinforcement for boxes, including an angular corner stay having aslit in one of the flanges thereof, doubled strips inserted through theslit of the corner stay and having the looped ends thereof extendingthrough the corner joint of the box, and an anchor wire extending alongthe corner of the box on the interior thereof and engaging the saidlooped ends of the strips, the outer ends of the doubled strips beingslit longitudinally to provide arms, each of which is of two thicknessesof material, said arms being bent in opposite directions around thecorner of the box.

7. A reinforcement for boxes, including an angular corner stay having aslit in one of the flanges thereof and provided at its ends withlaterally bent extensions, doubled strips inserted through the slit ofthe corner stay and having the looped ends thereof extending through thecorner joint of the box, and an anchor wire extending along the cornerof the box on the interior thereof and engaging the said looped ends ofthe strips, the extremities of the anchor wire engaging the beforementioned lateral extensions at the ends of the corner stay, and theouter ends of the doubled strips providing arms which are bent inopposite directions around the corner of the box.

8. A reinforcement for boxes, including an angular corner stay formed intelescoping sections and adjustable to the size of the box, one of theside flanges of the corner stay being provided with a slit, doubledstrips inserted through the slit of the corner stay and having thelooped ends thereof ex tending through the corner joint of the box, andanchor means within the interior of the box for engaging the said loopedends of the doubled strips, the outer ends of the doubled stripsproviding arms which are bent in opposite directions around the cornerof the box.

9. A reinforcement for boxes, including an angular corner stay formed intelescoping sections and adjustable to the size of the box, one of theside flanges of the corner stay being provided with a slit, and the endsof the corner stay being provided with laterally bent extensions,doubled strips inserted through the slit of the corner stay and havingthe looped ends thereof extending through the corner joint of the box,and an anchor wire extending along the corner'of the box on the interiorthereof and engaging the looped ends of the doubled strips, theextremities of the. anchor wire being engaged by the before mentionedlaterally bent extensions at the ends of the corner stay, and the outerends of the doubled strips providing arms which are bent in oppositedirections around the corner of the box. r In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

JOHN MELSAON.

Witnesses:

B. A. MORTON, J. C. PoHLnY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

